Car Safety
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Here’s something we definitely recommend you don't try at home. New Zealand race car driver Jonny Reid was put behind the wheel of a new 2011 Volvo S60 and asked to flog the car around a race track he’s very familiar with. Should be easy; now imagine him doing it wearing a blindfold. The videos below show Reid completing the challenge at Hampton Downs Raceway in New Zealand. Together with his own instincts for the track, as well as some much instruction from co-driver Earl Bamber, Reid managed to finish in 1m 28s and even reached speeds as high as 120 mph. Check out all the action...
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Volvo Recalls Most 2009-11 Models Due To Faulty SeatsJust a week after the automaker issued a recall on most of its 2011 lineup because of engine stalling issues, Volvo has announced yet another major recall, this time due to faulty seats. The recall affects certain 2009, 2010 and 2011 model year S40, S60 and V50 vehicles, as well as some 2010 and...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
NHTSA Proposes Mandatory Backup Cameras By 2014Without doubt backup cameras that project a small image of what’s behind your vehicle when reversing has helped prevent countless accidents--and also made parking a whole lot easier--and soon the handy feature may be standard on all new cars sold across the country. Federal safety regulators...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
2010-11 Land Rover LR2 Recalled For Driver Airbag FailureRecalls are almost as frequent as new model introductions these days, with everything from child seat anchor access to floor mat orientation to blame, but occasionally a serious threat to daily-driving safety arises, and the latest recall of 2010 and 2011 Land Rover LR2s definitely falls into the...
Nelson Ireson -
2011 Volvo S60, S80, XC60 And XC70 Models Recalled Because Of Stalling EnginesVolvo is blaming a software glitch for its latest recall of all 2011 model year S60 and S80 sedans and XC60 and XC70 crossovers. A total of 6,046 vehicles are involved in the latest recall, which is scheduled to take effect on December 10, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
2010-11 Jaguar XJ Recalled Due To Faulty Windshield WipersJaguar has issued a recall on all 2010 and 2011 model year XJ sedans due to an issue with their windshield wipers. The problem poses no immediate threat to passengers and subsequently the recall is only scheduled to begin on December 13, though this may be pushed to an earlier date. According to...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Autonomous or ‘self-driving’ cars have been around for a while, at least in prototype form. In fact, just this week we reported on Audi’s autonomous TTS, which successfully charted the grueling 12.42 mile Pikes Peak run. However, about a year ago we reported on a government-backed initiative in Europe called SARTRE (SAfe Road TRains for the Environment), which was being launched to develop and test technology for vehicles that can drive themselves in long road trains on highways. The technology has the potential to improve traffic flow and journey times, offer greater...
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2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK To Feature New Levels Of SafetyThe third generation of Mercedes’ popular roadster, the SLK, is just around the corner, scheduled for a debut at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show next March to be exact. We’ve already seen hordes of spy shots, some of which have been very revealing, and Mercedes, too, has offered us a glimpse...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
2011 Volvo XC60 Gets Pedestrian Detection And Upgraded Infotainment SystemCrossovers are the new wagons, according to popular wisdom, but at Volvo the heritage is clearly visible. Its wagon-like crossovers in the XC line have met with great success in the U.S., together with the various wagon lines accounting for about half of the company's sales in recent years. One of...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Enraged Customer Holds BMW Employee Hostage At GunpointIn the past two weeks we have seen a youth shot dead for egging a Mercedes-Benz, a F1 champ flee for his life from armed gunmen, and a Chicago car dealer arrested for being naked and possessing an unlicensed firearm, and now we can add another gun-related incident to the pile. A man in France took...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Mercedes-Benz Issues Recall On 2011 Diesel Models Due To Leaky Fuel FilterOwners of diesel variants of any 2011 model year Mercedes-Benz E, GL, M or R-Class models better take note as the automaker has recently issued a recall alert for these particular models due to a leaky fuel filter hazard. The recall comes after a number of cases of leaking diesel fuel were reported...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Look Out! New Speed Camera Can Also Spot Tailgaters And Seatbelt OffendersThere’s still much debate as to what the primary cause of accidents are. With the proliferation of speed cameras located all across the country you’d think that speeding certainly was but there are other dangerous driving acts that are just as bad, if not worse. Governments are finally...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
For those of you who ever thought men were incapable of multitasking, meet the man who could possibly be the most efficient person in the world.. or the most dangerous. He was spotted driving down a freeway at speeds of up to 60 mph with not only a book in front of him, but also a Kindle e-book reader. If that wasn’t bad enough, he momentarily stops to check his cell phone--no doubt he had an important message coming in. Enjoy the mayhem below. [TechCrunch]
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Cadillac Escalades Easy To Steal Due To Security Flaw? Not So FastYou just parked your shiny new Escalade at the curb 15 minutes ago. You walk back outside to see an empty stretch of asphalt where your Cadillac should be. What happened? According to one report, a security flaw made it vulnerable to an easy form of smash-and-grab theft. But things may not actually...
Nelson Ireson -
BMW Recalling 150,800 2007-2010 Models For Emissions And Safety FixesRecalls are rampant this month, and BMW is the latest to join the parade of dealer repairs. The reason for the recall of the 130,000 twin-turbo and naturally-aspirated six-cylinder models is for emissions and safety fixes. The problem with the twin-turbo models lies in the direct injection fuel...
Nelson Ireson -
Early Look At BMW’s Future In Car TechnologyThe luxury makes tend to be the greatest innovators of technology in the automotive field, often pioneering the latest safety and comfort features in new cars. BMW has had its fair share of technology firsts and now the automaker is on track to carry on that tradition with a number of new features...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Toyota, Lexus Recalling 740,000 Vehicles In U.S.When you make more than 10 million cars per year, if something goes wrong on a significant batch of them, the recall size is going to be pretty big. Toyota has been a case study in this concept over the past year or so, today adding another 740,000 vehicles in the U.S. and over 1.5 million...
Nelson Ireson -
Study: Mercedes SL-Class Drivers Four Times More Likely To Get A TicketIf you drive a Mercedes-Benz SL-Class convertible, you've probably gotten a speeding ticket, according to a new study from Verisk Analytics. If you drive a Buick Rainier, you probably don't know what a ticket looks like. The study found the SL-Class to be the most-ticketed car, at a rate four times...
Nelson Ireson -
James Bond drives Aston Martins, so they must be pretty awesome, right? Right. But it looks like some of the 2007-2008 production wasn't quite as awesome as it should have been, as Aston is recalling the DB9 Coupe, DB9 Volante, V8 Vantage Coupe, V8 Vantage Roadster, and DBS Coupe for a front suspension bolt that could crack, affecting the driver's ability to control the car. Steering control is a pretty serious issue in any car, but particularly so in one that might reach ballistic speeds. According to the NHTSA report, the cracked bolt could cause the lower control arm to move unpredictably...
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2011 BMW 5-Series, Hyundai Sonata Only 5-Star Cars In New NHTSA RatingsThe National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) has released a new, more stringent rating system for 2011 model-year cars. So far the only two cars to get top marks of five stars are the 2011 BMW 5-Series and the 2011 Hyundai Sonata. Many 2011 models have not yet been released or...
Nelson Ireson -
Tesla Recalling 439 Roadsters For Electrical Fire RiskThe first of the modern electric sports cars to market has had a rough time of ironing out its mechanical issues, though the current Tesla Roadster 2.5 solves many problems in previous iterations. It's still not 100 percent, however, as Tesla today announced a voluntary recall of 439 of its...
Nelson Ireson -
Bentley's Pedestrian-Stabbing Hood Ornament Recall Affects Just 596 VehiclesIt turns out there's an upside to being a super-exclusive, limited volume hyperluxury carmaker beyond the chest-high stacks of cash. When a recall happens, it affects only a handful of vehicles. Bentley's latest recall, for a problem with the hood ornament failing to retract, applies to just 596...
Nelson Ireson -
Study: Racing Video Games Really Do Make You A Better DriverNot only are video games good for your brain, playing action video games improves your ability to make the right decision, and to do so faster, according to a new study at the University of Rochester. Take that, Jack Thompson (and legions of "they'll rot your brain" parents). The study didn't...
Nelson Ireson -
Infiniti M Seeks Spot At Leading Edge Of New NCAP Safety Tech ProgramThe luxury car segment has long been the leader in automotive safety technology, as discerning buyers and higher base prices allow the carmakers to do more than is possible in more cost-conscious cars. Mercedes-Benz and Volvo in particular have earned reputations for being leaders in the safety...
Nelson Ireson